Constructive Criticism: Let's Feedback Better
Introduction: Feedback takes Practice
College is a trip. Students in higher education are… fine. I find myself goggling at the different amounts of work ethic among students. The amount of accountability and responsibility different individuals have varies so much! College is definitely not “one size fits all”. Not everyone is going to be in a space that fits them perfectly.
I find that it’s hard to work and create in a space that’s too nice or too overbearing. As a college music student, I find that professors tend to either be too firm or not firm enough. For example, college music lessons often make me think: “I’m not good enough” or “I should have worked harder” or “how could I have possibly missed that” or “I’m never going to be cut out for this”.
On the other hand, media and production classes tended to be more along the lines of “That sounds good enough, so let’s move on”... But how do I make it BETTER?
I understand that we can move on educationally, but how do I continue to build the necessary skills to become a MASTER? How should I spend my 10,000 hours outside of the classroom? How do I make my passion become my work, and why aren’t my supervisors helping me?
It’s the combination of vague feedback and harsh criticism that makes me think: how can we be constructive to each other, better?
That's why constructive feedback needs to have 2 virtues: kindness and honestly.
1. The Problem with “Helpful” Hostility
I’ve been in many situations where the feedback was along the lines of: “wow…that was bad”. I, personally, don’t mind this type of feedback, as long as the person who is giving me follows up with either 1) something that wasn't bad or 2) how to make it not bad.
Saying that something is just “bad” isn’t good enough. Too forceful of criticism shuts down the creative space. We should be building up and learning from each other, not sizing up our egos and slamming innovation into a small, sad, cardboard box.
In Kim Scott’s book Radical Candor, she describes “obnoxious aggression” as feedback that is honest, but alienates and humiliates. Although it fits one of the virtues (honestly), it isn’t kind. It doesn’t follow up with action, so how can creatives or employees actually get better? How can we make sure that it doesn’t happen again? How can we make the creative process more self-sufficient?
I once recorded tenor saxophone with a California based producer. He needed a couple of stems recorded because his original musician had to pull out of the project. He gave me a scratch and a backing track to use, and I set up my own equipment here in Pocatello, ID. He gave me the following instructions:
“One thing I want to emphasize: I really want a good amount of vibrato throughout the line, kinda how the synth is but you could even add & emphasize more vibrato if possible. I also really love old breathy typa tones on tenor. I think an older sounding tone would sound super dope on this sound. What ever you do I know it’ll be dope I trust you 🙏🏾”
This man is literally the coolest guy. I especially liked how he was able to articulate what he expected from me, while also acknowledging my expertise in the instrument. He doesn’t play saxophone, but as a producer, he has the right to tell me what to do and reserves the right to make me rerecord it if it’s not what he is looking for. It’s my job to play what he wants, really really well.
I know he wasn’t harsh or too blunt/honest like in the previous examples, but he was specific and kind. This made me want to get it right the first time, and continue to record tracks for him in the future. The relationship he communicated with me made it so we both can be creative, and that I can become a better musician.
Constructive feedback doesn’t need to be controlling, it needs to be collaborative.
2. The Problem with Critique Missing Character
Everybody is different. I’ve seen a lot in my day (I’m literally only in my 20s, so there’s still a ways to go). One of my least favorite experiences was during a college history class. The largest part of the grade was the dreaded term paper. Now, I love writing. But this particular assignment sucked out my soul.
The professor would go into my Google Doc and nitpick every little part. The day of the due date. His feedback was primarily on word choice, sentence structure, and punctuation.
This was not a great experience. I had an overwhelming amount of feedback that left me feeling subpar, but it was also feedback that didn’t reflect my actual interpretation of the information and my academia. I was a sophomore undergrad student, the way I structured my list and the words I used were to the best of my abilities - I knew my work wasn’t going to be perfect structurally. That’s what technical writing classes are for. But what about my conclusions and analysis? Was I actually on target? Did I understand the class correctly? Did I actually deliver something worth anything?
Yeah. I got a 96% on the paper. But I still felt terrible.
The problem was that I didn’t receive feedback that actually helped me build my analysis skills. As a student, I would expect some of the nit-picky edits and feedback. Yeah, please tell me if the sentence doesn’t make sense (I definitely wrote that section at 1 AM, it’s gonna be rough in some spots). Additionally, I would have liked this feedback to come back to me before the due date, interspersed with thought-provoking questions to guide me to the right idea, and positive comments to let me know I’m not a terrible student. Guide, don’t bombard.
This goes with any type of work: too much of the nit-picky feedback isn’t going to build character or skill. I'm a student, not an professional editor. With the appropriate deadline, character guiding questions, and just a little bit of praise, students, employees, and coworkers can move on the right track and make their work better.
Zoom out and help build character.
3. The Problem with Impersonal Feedback
Now from the previous example, one can tell that I crave academic validation. I like to have instructions, I like knowing where I’m at, and I like to know if I am good enough. However, not everyone is like me.
People have different strengths, niches, opinions, experiences, and preferences. What works for you will likely not work for another.
I like to plan ahead and plan for everything that could possibly go wrong. I feel comfortable when I am prepared. I feel passionate when I can work and develop a project in its entirety. I have a few friends and coworkers that work the in opposite way. They prefer projects sprung onto them quickly, and they feel passionate when they face new, different projects and problems daily.
Because I know how I prefer to work, I know how I prefer feedback. This implies that one must get to know someone to know their work and their preferred way of encouragement.
A sensitive intern might need praise first before you ask them to recoil every single xlr cable again.
An experienced drummer might just need to be told to play less and listen more.
Kind words might do the trick, or a stern look is all it takes; it depends on the individual and their reception to criticism.
Context matters, and knowing individuals matters.
4. The Problem with Avoiding Feedback
We need feedback to get better. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he describes mastery as practicing for 10,000 hours. This illustrates that becoming good at something takes consistent time doing it.
However, I’d like to add something. It takes 10,000 hours of being bad before you can accept that you are good.
Harsh, I know. But the difference between 10,000 hours of practice and 10,000 hours of knowing that you’re not quite good enough shows humility to the task, and allows you to grow over time.
Practicing for 10,000 hours and thinking you’re the greatest of all time, without acknowledging your flaws or accepting feedback is not going to be as beneficial as an individual who has practiced for 1,000 hours, but actively seeks guidance and embraces criticism. Talent takes work, but mastery takes humility.
I think the best musicians that I know are also the humblest people. Individuals who know they are good, but still take risks and try new things are much more interesting and get better faster.
I taught a certain individual saxophone for 4 months. He was a difficult student - but we pushed through. My main goal for him was to keep going even when things get tricky. When he performed in his recital, he was calm and prepared, and I couldn’t be happier. I talked with him afterward, and he knew he messed up, he knew that he missed a couple of notes, he knew that he got lost - but he kept following along in the song and picked up where he left off. He started again with a big breath and a smile. He felt empowered enough to make mistakes.
He definitely hasn’t practiced for 10,000 hours, but he understands that it takes time, effort, and mistakes to get better. He knows what he wants to work on later so he can feel even better about his performance.
I enjoyed his recital performance more than I would the symphony. I could tell my student was taking risks, and that made it much more exciting, compelling, and character defining.
Just like a beginner saxophone student, the workplace must be full of mistakes. We should embrace what people lack in skills and fill it with enthusiasm and kindness. We should be excited to learn more and contribute to our teams. We should look forward to discussions on how things have been going and how we can improve. That’s what makes mistakes bearable.
Embracing feedback builds mastery.
5. Building a Feedback Culture
If we only expect feedback from leadership or higher positions, the work environment is going to feel a little lopsided. Feedback should be cyclical; more experienced individuals should be giving and seeking feedback from their employees, and vice versa.
All individuals are capable of being experts in their own niches. Putting fresh minds on a project or team is an asset, and should be thoroughly implemented. Cultivating an environment that invites feedback and conversations from every team member is what strengthens the interpersonal culture between coworkers. Team building across leadership makes it easier to give feedback and make productivity and creativity better.
I work part time as a social media manager and graphic designer for a local music company. My boss regularly calls me and just asks for my opinion. In a recent performance review, she told me that she values my honesty and straightforwardness when she comes to me with promotional ideas. I am able to give her a different perspective in order to revise and streamline the product before posting online.
This relationship is fostered because of the maturity we both have towards our work - we both want to make a good product and we respect each other's expertise. We know the importance of boundaries and don’t cross them emotionally, but can actively cross them professionally, offering new ideas that push for growth.
Feedback is a skill.
Conclusion: Let’s Feedback Better
By the end of the day, we’ve been faced with so much feedback; from employers, coworkers, students, teachers, friends, family members, mentors, and ourselves. To encourage growth day by day, the way in which we give and receive criticism must be kind and honest.
We need to stop pretending that vague encouragement and harsh critiques build character. It’s not good enough. We need to guide, not correct. We need to build up, not break down. We need to understand each other as kind, creative people who are looking to grow bigger than we could ever dream of. We want to realize the potential that everyone is capable of, including ourselves.
You’ll need more time and talent. You’ll need more humility and patience. You'll need the quiet strength that challenges “what we’ve always done”. You’ll need to be willing to get called out, and a community that’s willing to call you out, too.
Challenge with kindness, and feedback better.
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